Fairfax County License Plates?

Herrity proposes developing county license plate to support tourism.

The City of Fairfax has its own license plates, so why not Fairfax County?

That’s the question Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) asked the rest of the board at its first meeting of the year on Tuesday, Jan. 8. The board unanimously agreed, approving a motion to petition the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles for a Fairfax County license plate.

“I look forward to being one of the first residents to get my hands on a Fairfax County license plate.”

Supervisor Pat Herrity

Herrity pointed out the City of Fairfax has its own tag which generates roughly $5,000 per year in revenues at $15 per vehicle, which is dedicated to historical resources. Using Fairfax City’s population as a benchmark, Herrity estimated that Fairfax County could generate roughly $250,000 per year from its own license plates.

Herrity said his plan would be used to fund tourism functions that bring in out-of-county and out-of-state tax dollars to Fairfax. The proceeds from the sale of the plates will support the World Police and Fire Games, which Fairfax is hosting in 2015, and then VisitFairfax beginning in 2016 to bolster the organization’s advertising and tourism to bring more people to the county.

“I look forward to being one of the first residents to get my hands on a Fairfax County License plate,” Herrity said.

“I was proud to bring this initiative to the board. It doesn’t cost the county a dime and it will reap rewards for years to come,” Herrity said. “It gives our citizens a low-cost way to demonstrate pride in our community as well as support the World Police and Fire Games and our local tourism industry.”

The process for attaining such a license plate tag is fairly simple, Herrity said. Visit Fairfax has agreed to facilitate the process of collecting 350 pre-paid applications and the county’s public affairs department will draft a design with the county seal.